Needle-bar mechanism for buttonhole-stitching machines.



PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

E. B. ALLEN. NEEDLE BAR MECHANISM FOR BUTTONHOLE STITGHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1906.

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PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

E. EALLEN. NEEDLE BAR MECHANISM EOE BUTTONHOLE STITGHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1906.

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No. 856,617. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907. E.B.ALLEN.

NEEDLE BAR MECHANISM FOR BUTTONHOLE STITOHING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED JULY 21. 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIcE.

EDWARD B. ALLEN, OF BRIDGEPORT, CON N ECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SIN GER MANUFACTURIN G COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

NEEDLE-BAR MECHANISM FOR BUTTONHOLE-STITCHING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed July 21,1906. serial No- 327.165.

T 610% whom, it mag concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridge ort, Fairfield .county, Connecticut, former y at Elizabeth, Union county, New Jersey, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Needle-Bar Mechanisms for Buttonhole-Stitching Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to that class of button-hole stitching machines in which the needle-bar is vibrated or reciprocated back and forth for the purpose of making the overseaming'or edge-covering and barring stitches; and the invention has for its object to provide an improved mechanism by means of which the change from overseaming to barring stitches, or vice versa, may be efl'ectecl.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are opposite side views of'a straight button-hole stitching machine embodying the invention. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same, and Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detail views of the needle-bar shifting mechanism to which the invention more especially relates.

Referring to the drawings, 12 denotes the work-plate, 13 the arm of the machine and 14 the main shaft journaled in the upper part of said arm, and provided at its rear end with the fast and loose pulleys 15, 16. The stitchforming mechanism of the machine is of an old and wellknown character and comprises the needle 17 carried by the needle-bar 18 having a crank and pitman connection (not shown) with the forward end of the main shaft 14 so as to reciprocate vertically in a horizontally swinging frame or gate 19; said needle co-operating in the usual manner with an oscillating shuttle working in the shuttle race 20 and operated from a crank 21 at the lower end of the vertical shaft 22 geared to the main shaft (see Fig. 2) so as to rotate coincidently therewith.

The horizontally-swinging needle-bar frame 19 is reciprocated laterally, for the purpose of making overseaming and barring stitches, from a cam-wheel 23 performing one rotation to each two rotations of the main or driving shaft 14 by virtue of the one-to-two-gearing connection with said shaft afforded by the gears 24 and 25, said cam-wheel having the cam groove 26 entered by a pin or roller-stud 27 on the upper arm of the bell-crank lever 28. The lower arm of the said bell-crank lever 28 is slotted for the reception of a slide 29 carrying a pin or roller-stud 30 entering a slot 31 in the lower overlapping arm of a second bell-crank lever 32 the upper arm of which is connected by a link 33 with the swinging needle-bar frame 19. The link 33 is preferably connected with the lever 32 by means of a slide 34 which may be adjusted vertically in a groove or slot in the upper arm of said lever so as to vary the point of connection of said link with relation to the fulcrum point or pivot 35 of said lever, thereby providing for varying the width of the overseam, or the distance from the button hole slit of the depth stitches of said overseam, by adjusting the said slide 34 up or down on the upper arm of the said bell-crank lever 32 said slide being retained in any desired osition of adjustment by a set screw 36 wluch is loosened when the said slide is to be adjusted, as Will be understood.

When the long barring stitches at the ends of the button-holes are to be formed much greater horizontal movements of the needle bar and needles are required, and such horizontal movements, in making the barring stitches, are produced by shifting the slide 29 to the left; from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 5, thereby practically increasing the working length of the lower arm of the lever 28 and correspondingly decreasing the working length of the lower arm of the lever 32. This shifting movement of the said slide 29 is automatically effected by the link 37 connected at its rear end to the upper end of the lever 38 which is operated from the cam groove 39 in the lower face of the intermitting rotating feed-wheel 40, and which cam-groove is entered by a pin or roller stud 41 on a lever 42 connected by a link 13 with the lower end of the said lever 38. The connection of the link 37 with the upper end of the lever 3S'is preferably an adjustable one afforded by the slot or groove 4-4 in the upper end of said lever and a pin or slide 45 entering said groove and connected with said link, and retained in any desired position of adjustment by a set-screw or set-nut 46. Thus by lowering or raising the point of connection of the said link 37 with the said lever 38 the slide 29 will be given a greater orlesser throw when shifted, to'increase or decrease the length of the barring stitches, as may be required for different kinds of work.

By virtue of the above-described connection. between the overlapping slotted arms of the two bell-crank levers 28 and 32, and whereby the working length of an arm of one is shortened simultaneously with a lengthening of the working length of an arm of the other, only comparatively short shifting movements of the slide 29, in changing from overseaming to barring stitches, are necessary, and more solid and steady connections between the operating cam and the swinging needle-bar frame may thus be maintained than was possible with the devices for the same purpose heretofore employed and which required a long shifting movement of a connection on a single part or lever.

Having thus described my invention I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a button-hole stitching machine, the combination with a stitch-forming mechanism comprising a laterally movable needlebar frame and needle-bar, of a rotating cam from which said frame is reciprocated so that the said needle-bar will descend alternately in different planes, two levers fulcrumed in different planes and having overlapping arms which extend in different directions from the respective fulcrums of said levers, one of said levers being operated by said cam and the other of said levers being operatively connected with said needle-bar frame, a shiftable connection between said levers, said connection being simultaneously movable from the fulcrum of one lever and toward the fulcrum of the other, and automatic means for positively shifting said con nection back and forth for the production of overseaming or edge-covering and barring stitches.

2. In a button-hole stitchingemachine, the combination with a stitch-forming mechanism comprising a laterally movable needlebar frame and needle-bar, ofa rotating cam from which said frame is reciprocated so that the said needle-bar will descend alternately in difierent planes, two adjacently arranged bell-crank levers having overlapping arms extending in different directions from the re spective fulcrums of said levers, one of said levers being operated by said cam and the other being operatively connected with said needle-bar frame, a shiftable connection between said overlapping arms, and automatic means for positively shifting said connection back and forth for the production of overseaming or edge-covering and barring stitches.

3. In a button-hole stitching machine, the combination with a stitch-forming mechanism comprising a laterally movable needlebar frame and needle-bar, of a rotating cam from which said frame is reciprocated so that the said needle-bar will descend alternately in different planes, two levers having overlapping arms extending in opposite directions from the respective fulcrums of said levers, one of said levers being operated by said cam and the other being operatively connected with said needle-bar frame, a shiftable connection between said levers comprising a slide working in an arm of one lever and having a pin or projection engaging an arm of the other, a lever for shifting said slide, a cam for actuating said lever, and alink. or pitman connecting the shifting lever with said slide, so that the position of. the latter may be automatically changed for the production of overseaming or edge-covering and barring stitches.

4. In a button-hole stitching machine, the combination with a stitch-forming mechanism comprising a laterally movablewneedlebar frame and needle-bar, of a rotating cam from which said frame is reciprocated so that the said needle-bar will descend alternately in different planes, two bell-crank levers having slotted or grooved overlapping arms extending in opposite directions .fromthe respective fulcrums of said levers one of' said levers being operated by said cam and the other being operatively connected withisaid needle-bar frame, a shiftable connectionbetween said arms comprising a slide working in an arm of one lever and having a: pin or projection engaging an arm of the other, a lever for shifting said slide, a cam for. actuating said lever, and a link or pitmancone necting the shifting lever with said slide,- so

that the position of the latter may be au.

tomatically changed for the production of over-seaming or edge-covering and. barring stitches.

5. In a button-hole stitchingmachine, the combination with a stitch-forming mechanism comprising a laterally movable needlebar frame andneedlebar, of a rotating cam from which said frame is reciprocated'so that the said needle-bar will descend alternately in different planes, two levers having-overlapping arms extending in difierent' directions from the respective fulcrums of said levers, one of said-levers being operated by said cam and the other being operatively connected with said needle-bar frame, a shiftable connection between said levers comprising a slide working in an arm of one lever and having-a pin or projection engaging an arm of the other, a lever for shifting said slide, a cam for actuating said lever, and a link orpitman one endof which is adjustably connected with the shifting lever. and the other end of which is connected with said slide, so that the position of the latter may be automatically changed for the production of overseaming or edge-covering and barring stitches.

6. In a button-hole stitching machine, the combination with a stitch-forming mechanism comprising a laterally movable needlebar frame and a needle-bar, of a rotating cam from which said frame is reeiprocated so that the said needle-bar will descend alternately in different planes, two bell-crank levers having slotted or grooved overlapping arms extending in different directions from the fulcrums of said levers, one of said levers being operated by said cam and the other being operatively connected with said needle-bar frame, a shiftable connection between said arms comprising a slide working in an arm of one lever and having a pin or projection engaging an arm of the other, a lever for shifting said slide, a cam for actuating said lever, and a link or pitman one end of which is adj ustably connected with the shifting lever and the other end of which is connected with said slide, so that the position of the latter may be automatically changed and simultaneously shifted'away from the fulcrum of one lever and toward the fulcrum of the other for the production of overseaming or edge-covering and barring stitches.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD B. ALLEN. Witnesses:

DONALD NOBLE, H. A. KORNEMANN. 

